Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-04-28

partment commanders are endeavoring tc
secure General Wilcox's command. The
Department of Che Missouri is considered
| the most desirable in the service Gen.
eral Miles and General Crook are both ap
plicants for the command. The latter
| has the influence of General Sheridan in
| his favor.
The consul of the United States al
! Managua, Nicaragua, has informed the
department of state that the congress OF
/ Nicaragua has passed law ordering that
custom house duties shall be collected al
the rate of SO per cent. on the value OF
merchandise; that the duty will be as
sessed rs now on the gross weight, but the
will pay SO per cent OF the cost. The Law
is to take effect Aug. L.
| The interstate commission has $780,
600 to expend in clerk hire and in eject
eras. A reporter asked Commissioners
Bragg to-day if there was any truth in
the report that the board contemplated
| delegating to the civil service commiss.
| ion the authority to select under civil
service rules the clerks of the interstate
commission. "There is not a word OF
truth in it," he replied. Commissioner
Morrison, when asked the same question
just puckered his mouth and emitted a
loud whistle, which was construed as a
denial more reliable than words.
Two companies of infantry will be as
signed at an early date 10 open the new
posts recently established at Chicago and
Denver. 1t is not believed that either of
these posts will be very extensive, but
may grow to a detail of perhaps three
companies each. They will start in, how
ever, with one company each until greater
accommodations can be built. 1t is net
known yet at the War Department what
companies will be designated for the new
posts, as that was left to the discretion of
General Terry, commander of the division,
who will make his selections in a few
days.
ALEXANDER MITCHELL'S SUDDEN DEATH.
Alexander Mitchell, Wisconsin's mil
lionaire banker and railroad magnate, has
run his earthly course. At 2:3o O'Clock
Tuesday afternoon at the Hoffman house,
New York City, he laid down the temple
of clay worn and wearied with the cares
and labors of an eventful and useful life
and entered into his eternal rest, after
brief illness. Wisconsin may well feel
deep pride IN claiming him as citizen.
Mr.. Mitchell possessed shrewd business
faculties equalled by few and excelled by
none. His strict honesty coupled with
this made success for him inevitable. He
was the wealthiest man of the state and
always used his mighty influence for
good purposes, never resorting to base or
undetermined schemes. This influence
was not only felt in his home city and
state but extended to the business circles
of the whole world to which his death
will be shock as great as it was sudden.
The immediate cause of his death was
failure of the action of the heart brought
on by pneumonia. The Milwaukee Even
ing Journal gives the following historical
sketch OF Mr.. M1tchell's life:
Alexander Mitchell was born Oct Is,
II, in the parish of Elton, Aberdeen
shire, Scotland. His father was afarmer,
and the early days Of the future financier
were passed in the same avOcation. For
to- years he studied law in Aberdeen,
and then went into q bank at Peterhead,
and remained there until he came to Mil
waukee in May, 1889, when, in company
with George Smith, of Chicago, he organ
lied the Wisconsin Marine and Fire In
surance company, an institution that was
in reality bank, although not called one
on account of the law then in force. The
bills of this company we've the only relia-
BILE paper currency the territory had for
many years, yet despite the times every
dollar was redeemed when presented.
IL 1841, David Ferguson, joined Mr..
Mitchell in the bank, and despite the
panics, runs and other incidents common
to institutions of the kind, there has
never been time during the forty-eight
years of its existence that 'Mitchell's
bank" as it is commonly called, had not
met every liability.
Following the panic of 1857 the city of
Milwaukee was in condition of almost
hopeless bankruptcy, owing to the issue
of railroad and other bonds, and plan
was adopted by which refunding bill was
passed in the legislature, largely by advice
of Mr.. Mitchell, who, with Chas. Quentin
and Joshua Hathaway, constituted the
first commissioners of public debt. Under
the various city administrations the COM
mission has been frequently changed as
to two of its members, but Mr.. Mitchell
has been constantly reappointed, doing
great deal of gratuitous work for the
municipality in negotiating and caring
for its securities and interest.
1t is as a manager and promoter of
railroads that the deceased was best
KIN own to the world. he having been for
years at the head Of the Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul company, corporation
that controls more miles of road than any
other in the world. From the time rail
roads were first constructed here
until the panic of 1857, each
line was operated by separate COM
pany, and some of them paid. After the
panic things grew worse, and continued
SO all through the war, until May 5, 1868
when the Milwaukee d st. Paul COMPANY
was incor porated by Mr.. Mitchell and his
associates, who saw that the only way to
save what they had invested in building
the different lines was to bring them
under one management. Mr.. Mitch
ell was elected president and S. S. Mer-
rill general manager, and taking up the
LOO oode xubora oAhoro had drOpne6